Hydrocarbon-burner.



No". 634,642, 7 Patented net; 10,1899.

H. HOWARD.

HYDBOCARBUN BURNER.

A ximimi filed Mar. 28, 1898.:

i2 Sheets$heet (No Model.)

m, 9 m. m 1..

a R A W 0 H H HYDBOCARBON BURNER.

(Application flied In. 35, 189B.

2 ShaetsSheet 2,

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'I-IENRY HOWARD, or BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

V HYDROCARBON-BU RN ER.

srnclrrcnrron fcrrnjng al-e ofiLe-tters patent n eeaeee, dated October 10, 1 899.

Application filed March 2a 1393. Serial in). 675,413. on modelJ adjustment.

I will now describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and will particularly point out various novel features in the claims.

Figure 1 in elevation represents the lower portion of the combustion-chamber with a burner embodying my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the burner detached. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof on the line as, Fig. 2. Fig. i is a sectional view of the burner, taken at right angles to Fig. 3, on the line in 68', Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the fuel-controlling devices on the line y 1], Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line y 1 Fig. 5, of one of the fuel-injectors.

In the practical construction of a highlyet'ficient hydrocarbon burner a number of points must be considered, such as the vaporization of the fuel before its admission to the burner proper, the thorough admixture of the hydrocarbon with the requisite quantity of air before reaching the point at which combustion is effected, the readyregulation of the air admitted, and the capability of rapid production of heat after the combustion has begun, asfwell as the rapid return to maximum heating after temporarily shutting off the fuel-supply. I have had these various considerations in mindin the construction and arrangement 01: the burner, which will now be described.

Referring to the drawings, the burner is shown as comprising' a closed distributingchamber A, formed by a bottom plate a and a top plate a, bent circnmferentially to form a side wall a and outwardly flanged at its lower it edge at ai Figs. 2 and 4, and attached by suitable bolts or rivets a to they bottom plate. The top plate has a nu rnbcr of preferably circular openings therein, the adjacent portions of the plate being bent or stamped to form downturned cylindrical flanges 05, provided at their lower ends, which approach the bottom plate a, with suitably-attached foraminous covers a Each of these cup-like portions orcells a forms a burner proper, in which are inserted the usual metallic gratings a common in hydrocarbon-burners.

In order to prevent undue heating of the burners, I prefer to cover the top plate a and line the interior of the burner-cells a with asbestos, as at 02, or other suitable non-inflammable or non-heat-conducting material.

The top and bottom plates are provided, respectively, with diametral concavities a a to form a long subchamber A, completely separated from the distributing-chamber and containing two superposed pipes or cylinders 13 and O.

Castings c 0', attached to the ends of the subchamber A, support ihe'larger and upper'pipe O, which communicates at one end, by an inlet (2 in the casting 0,- (see Fig. 3,) with a pipe 0 leading from the source of liquid-fuel supply, (not shown,) the said pipe 0 constituting a vaporizer.

The end of the pipe B adjacent the fuelinlet c -is closed bya plug b and is provided I along its top with a number of small holes or jet-openings b, Fig. 3, below the'vaporizer G.

r The casting c has an outlet 0 communicating with the vaporizer near its top, and a nozzle d, screwed into the said casting, leads from the outlet 0 to the injectors, to be described.

I have herein shown two mixing-chambers F opening into the distributing chamber through openings (L12 in the bottom plate a, said mixing-chambers being shown as long conduits having at their outer ends butterflyvalves f, which regulate the admission of air to the mixing and-distributing chambers, it being apparent from the drawings that air can only enter the distributing'chamber A through the mixing-chambers.

The nozzle dforms part of a casting D, having a transverse duct (1, Figs. 3 and 4:, comtoo municating with the two injectors I, one for each mixing-chamber, and a passage d leading from the nozzle d to a valve-chamber d in the casting, having a valve-seat d Fig. 5. A passage (1 (see dotted lines, Figs. 3 and 5) leads from the valve-chamber to the duct d, the passage of liquid fuel or vapor from the vaporizer O to said duct being controlled by a valve d, which is automatically operated, as will be described.

As shown in Fig. 3, the passage 01 is closed at its lower end by a screw-plug d orot-herwise, and, referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that whether the valve cl is open or closed the passage 61 is open to the, vaporizer O.

The end of the pipe B adjacent the casting D is open at d Fig. 3, and opposite this open end the casting D has an outlet communieating with the passage d and controlled by a needle-valve (Z so that some of the contents of the vaporizer can pass into the pipe B, mixing with sufiicient air to support combustion when a lighted match or torch is applied to the jets b, the valve cl"v being open. This jet-pipe B may be termed a heater, its object being to heat and vaporize to a greater or less degree the volatile contents of the vaporizer 0 when starting the apparatus and to maintain more or less of the contents of the vaporizer in a vaporized state when the burner is temporarily inoperative.

By means of the heater and vaporizer I am enabled to raise steam very rapidly in a boiler provided with the burner embodying my invention, for there will be enough of the vaporized fuel in the vaporizer, provided the heater is in operation, to mix at once with the requisite air in the mixers F as soon as the injectors are opened, the combustible mixture passing at once to the distributingchamber and burners proper.

One of the injectors I is shown separately in section in Fig. 6, and comprises a case or shell having an outlet 2' opening into the mixing-chamber, the shell being shown as extended through the center of the valve f thereof, a suitable needle or other valve 2" regulating the outlet, the valve-stem 2' passing through a suitable stuffing-box i and having a handpiece i by which movement of the valve is effected. An inlet leads from the duct d of the casting D to each injectorshell, whereby the vaporized fuel can pass from the vaporizer C to the injectors and thence to the mixing-chambers F.

In order to start the apparatus, heat is applied to the injectors and casting l), as by burning alcohol in a pan P, provided for the purpose, to volatilize some of the liquid fuel in the parts so heated, and then the valve CZ" is opened to permit the entrance of the vapor and air to the heater B, the jets I) being lighted by a match or otherwise. This rapidly vaporizes more or less of the contents of the vaporizer, and then the injector-valves may be opened and the air-inlet valves 1'', it

being noted that the vaporizer-outlet eleads from the upper part of the vaporizer, in order to draw off vapor as soon as possible. After the mixed air and fuel-vapor enter the distributing-chamber A the burners are lighted automatically by the heater-jets-and the apparatus is ready for use, the air-supply be in g regulated entirely by the air-inlet valvesf.

I have provided means to automatically regulate the supply of fuel by or through variation in boiler-pressure, so that when the said pressure passes beyond or falls below a certain pressure the fuel-supply will be reduced or increased, respectively.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 5, a case H has a cap 11 attached thereto provided with a hollow boss h, through which the stem h of the valve d is extended into the case H, the chamber (1 of the casting D and the boss h being tightly connected by ascrewcoupling and sleeve h. Aflexible diaphragm H is securely held between the case H of the regulator and its cap, and the valve-stem h has within the cap H a disk-like enlargement 7L2 resting on one side of the diaphragm, the stem being threaded at and extending through the diaphragm and screwed tightly into the bottom of a cylinder h looselyheld in the regulator-case. The other end of said cylinder is closed by a head 7L5, through which is loosely extended a rod 71, having at its inner end a head If, and threaded at its outer end at h to engage a similarly-threaded hole in the end of the case, a check-nut h on the rod preventing any accidental movement thereof in the case H. A strong spring S surrounds said rod within the cylinder 7L bearing at its opposite ends on the head 7&7 of the rod and the head k of the cylinder and tending to move said cylinder to the right, Fig. 5, to thereby hold the valve d off its seat d. From the boiler (not shown) a pipe 71 leads to and opens into the case H on the same side of the diaphragm as the spring and cylinder are located, the boiler-pressure thus acting on the diaphragm in opposition to the action of the spring. By moving the rod 7t in or out of the case II the tension of the spring is varied to adj ust it to the desired degree of boiler-pressure, and when such pres sure passes beyond that point the tension of the spring is overcome and the valve d is more or less closed to decrease the supply of fuel to the injectors, and thereby decrease the heat of the burner. WV hen the boilerpressure is reduced below the desired point, the spring operates to open the valve cl and admit more fuel to the injectors to thereby increase the heating effect of the burner. lVhether the valve (1 is open or closed, however, the passage of the fuel to the heater B through the duct d and outlet d is not interfered with or varied in the least, so that when the supply of fuel is cut off entirely from the burner the heater B is still 0perative. By means of this arrangement my IIO hydrocarbon-motors for .horseless vehicles,

.to more or yacht-engines, and the like, which are liable less frequent stoppages, it being usually desirable to shut off the fuel-supply from the burner at such times.

In Figs. 1, 3, and 4. the burner'embodying my invention is shown as attached to the bottom of the combustion-chamber M of a boiler.

of any desired construction.

While I have shown two mixing-chambers and injectors cooperating with the distributing-chamber of the burner, my invention is not restricted thereto, as a single mixingchamber and injector may be used or more than two, as desired and according to the circumstances of theparticular case.

- By the construction herein shown it will be seen that in order to insure complete combustion no admission of air to the combustionchamber'of the furnace is required otherthan that which is mixed with the hydrocarbonvapor'in the mixing-chamber. This is a very important feature, for the minimum quantity of air requisite for complete combustion is used because it has been so intimately mixed with the vapor before combustion takes place.

Obviously this adds greatly to the economy of the apparatus, because little or no useless air has tobe heated, the heating of such air of course utilizing heat which otherwise would perform useful work. Not only this but by the construction described the com bustion-chamber is provided with a regular forced draft, obviating the use of a steamjet in thedowntake escape-flue to producea draft, such a jet being necessary when air has to be sucked into the combustion-chamber in order to obtain complete combustion.

Itis to be noted that the burners willl ight up from the-flame-jets of the heater the combnstiblemixture of air and f uelvaporbein g admitted to'theburners, and this is a source of great utility and convenience, for the controllingw'alve will frequently operate to completely shut off or openthe fuel-vapor supply to the mixing-chamber, and, when shutoff of 5 -'rfromf the heater-jets.

scope of myinvention. v I 7 Having'fnlly described myinventiomwhat course 'the'burner-iiame will be extinguished.

l When the valve opens and'admits'the vapor;

gain,,the burners will automatically light p i port fo'rits inner end,a'djacentthe diaphragm,

a'rigid. connectionbetwee'n its outer end and the valve-stem, the spring normally tending to maintain the valve open, anda fluid-pressure inlet'forthe casing, on the spring side of Myin vention s not'restrictedtto tlieiipre l- V cise construction and arrangement [herein 7 shownyas the same may ranged without departing from the spirit-and the diaphragm,

tionto the spring and tending to close the valve."

be varied or rear- I claim as new, andd si Secure by Letters Patent, i I

I l. ,Inahydrocarbon-burner, a closed distributin'g-chamberhaving in its top cup-like portions or cells each having in its bottom a" grating, to form sunken burners communicate ing with the chamber, a mixing-chamber com municating with the distributing-chamber and providedwith an adjustable air-inlet,

her, to be heated normally by and a fuel-vapor inlet'openin'g into: the mixing-chamber. k V

Y 2. In an apparatus of the class described, a distributing-chamber having a closedbottom and sides and provided with burners in its top, said top and bottom being bent to form a trough, a vaporizer connected with the fuelpp y jacent heater therefor, supported by and withand mounted in the trough and a subin the trough, said heater having means to supply it with fuel from the vaporizer, and a mixing-chamber communicating with the distributing-chamber, and provided with adj ustable air and fuel inlets. r

' 3. In a hydrocarbon-burner, a distributingchamber having a closed bottom and sides, a cell ular top provided with gratings in the cells to form burnerscommunicating with the chamber, a vaporizer connected with the liquid-fuel supply and mounted on said chamthe burners, a heater for the vaporizer, operative when the burners are active or inactive, air and fuelvapor inlets duce a mixture of air. and fuel-vapor to the distributing-chamber, a connection between said means and the vaporizer, and a valve to regulate the supply of fuel-vapor to said means independently of the supply to the heater.

4:. In an apparatus of the class described, a

- closed distributing-chamber having'burners communicating with its interior, the top and bottom of thechamber being bent to form a trough, a heater anda superposed vaporizer forthe fuel, mounted in said trough, a mixer for air and fuel-vapor, connected with the chamber, a ductor passage leading from the vaporizer and branched tosupplysaid heater ply of fuel may be cut ottfrom the burners without affecting the supply to theheater.

. 5. In an apparatus of theclass described, a distributing-chamber, a fuel-vapor inlet, a

operate the valve, said means .comprising a case, having a flexible diaphragm thereinand to which the valve-stem isconnected, a spring in the casinghaving afixed adjustable sup= to'move the latter in opposig 6. A valve-controller for hydrocarbon-burners, comprisinga casing having a transverse flexible diaphragm therein-between its closed for said heater, means to introcontrolling-valve for said inlet, and means to 7 m5: and mixer respectively with fuel-vapor, and a valve in the mixer branch, whereby thesupof the spring, adjustably mounted in the outer In testimony whereof I have signed my end of the casingandiooselyextended through name to this specification in the presence of the spring-holder, an inlet in the casing" at two subscribing witnesses.

the spring side of the diaphragm, whereby HENRY HOVARD.

5 fluid-pressure in said casing will act upon the Witnesses: 1 1 diaphragm to move the valve oppositely to JOHN COUPER EDWARDS, the action of the compression-spring. AUGUSTA -E. DEAN. 

